Baroness Warsi in ‘anti-semitic’ speaker event storm
Baroness Warsi is being forced to defend her decision to speak at a central London event
Baroness Warsi is today being forced to defend her decision to speak at a central London event next month alongside a UN official criticised for “corrosive anti-semitic” remarks.
The baroness is due to deliver the opening address at an event by rights group The Balfour Project next month, where the keynote speaker is UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese.
Albanese came under heavy criticism in December after it was revealed that the UN official had once said that the US was “subjugated by the Jewish lobby”.
In a 2014 Facebook post, Albanese said: “America and Europe, one of them subjugated by the Jewish lobby, and the other by the sense of guilt about the Holocaust…”
Francesca Albanese
When the comments were unearthed, U.S. Ambassador to the UNHRC Michèle Taylor said: “We are appalled by recently uncovered antisemitic remarks on social media made by a UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur before taking on the role.
References to the ‘Jewish Lobby’ are an age-old trope; this is outrageous, inappropriate, corrosive, & degrades the value of the UN.” Meanwhile, U.S. Special Envoy on Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt said: “Such blatant antisemitic rhetoric–particularly when it’s an established pattern–is simply unacceptable. It severely undermines the credibility of the UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur to deal with the issue of human rights in the context of Israel & the Palestinian territories”.
Despite the public storm over Albanese’s comments, she has remained in her UN post.
This week, a renewed effort was launched to remove her from her role, with the International Legal Forum and Italian lawyer Barbara Pontecorvo writing a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres calling for her sacking.
The controversy surrounding Albanese and Warsi’s decision to speak at an event alongside her comes after the baroness has criticised Home Secretary Suella Braverman for her “racist” rhetoric on grooming gangs.
Baroness Warsi is due to attend the Balfour Project Conference
Balfour Project Conference
Warsi called for Braverman to reconsider her position, adding that her language could “embolden racists” and inspire a violent backlash against British Asians.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: "Francesca Albanese's indefensible past comments about the 'Jewish lobby' should have been cause for her removal from office. Her refusal to do the decent thing and resign - and the failure to sack her - should be no excuse for British NGOs and politicians to lend her legitimacy. That they intend to do so speaks volumes about their commitment to the fight against racism."
Baroness Warsi and the Balfour Project have been contacted for comment.